The role of nutrients and phytochemicals in the promotion of good health through nutrition has now been extended to the likely benefits such as prevention of cancer, and protection against many other chronic diseases like arthritis, coronary heart disease, osteoporosis, and possibly many others.
A number of phytochemical nutrients have a lipophilic characteristic, such as tocopherols, tocotrienols, carotenoids, plant sterols and stanols, and lecithins, select omega-3 fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The terms “lipophilic nutrient(s)” or “lipophilic phytochemical(s)” or “active lipophilic nutrient(s)” are interchangeably used for describing these compounds singly or in combination with other such compounds, while describing the current invention. Lipophilic nutrients are a class of substances which exhibit an affinity towards oily or fatty solvents or carriers. Lipophilic substances have a higher solubility in hydrocarbon solvents, such as hexane, and have poor water solubility.
Tocopherols, tocotrienols and carotenoids are naturally occurring lipophilic micronutrients, suggested to play a role in the prevention of several degenerative diseases. Plant sterols or stanols are naturally occurring lipophilic compounds structurally related to cholesterol found in nuts, vegetable oils, seeds, cereals and beans. Lecithins are complex lipophilic mixtures of glyceride oils and phosphatides (including phosphaptidylcholine, or PC) which are widely used in food-processing, and are now being used as dietary supplements for their possible role as a source of choline which is required for cell-membrane integrity and for a wide variety of biochemical and neurochemical processes within the body. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (such as linolenic acid, alpha-linolenic acid, and gamma-linolenic acid) and omega-3 fatty acids (such as AA, DHA and EPA) have a significant nutritional role to play with several metabolic processes and healthy body function.
Carotenoids and other lipophilic nutrients are useful as nutritional supplements for the prevention/treatment of diseases, such as, several forms of cancer, immunological disorders, eye disorders, skin manifestations, inflammation, cardio-vascular disease etc. These lipophilic nutrients are typically required to be administered daily through a suitable delivery system. There are several delivery systems such as emulsions and suspensions or oily solutions that are popularly used currently along with solid delivery forms such as gelatin beadlets.
Many of these lipophilic phytochemicals and nutrients are sought to be incorporated in formulations of nutritional supplements in a stable, standardized form. While these are typically available in oily, waxy or viscous form, there is often a need to present these in a dry delivery form, which provides standardized quantities of these phytochemicals with adequate protection against destabilizing influences of light, moisture or oxygen, or from contact with other reactive components of a multi-ingredient nutrient supplement or health food.